The State Senate has finally passed legislation that will lead to more stringent enforcement of the intercity bus business. The bill, approved yesterday, will allow the city to set up a permit system and to assign parking spaces to bus companies. In April, state lawmakers and the Department of Transportation announced they’d ended a stalemate over the issue. The Assembly already passed a version of the “Chinatown bus” bill.
The new system is meant to address safety concerns and to alleviate congestion and overcrowding on the streets and sidewalks of Chinatown and other neighborhoods. Recently, federal regulators shut down three bus companies and their affiliates for various safety violations.
In a statement, Senator Daniel Squadron (who sponsored the legislation) said, “City permits for intercity buses will help end Chinatown’s wild west atmosphere while allowing the city and state to identify problems before they become tragedies.”
The DOT has agreed to work with local community boards in deciding where interstate buses will be allowed to park.
